The Government of Montenegro passed the decision to set up seven new consulates, among which one in Beirut and two in Cyprus. At its session held on January 31, 2008, the Government put the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in charge of “undertaking all necessary measures to implement this decision.” The latest issue of the Official Gazette states that the new consulates will be opened in Chaco (Argentina), New Delhi (India), Limassol and Nicosia (Cyprus), Beirut (Lebanon), Istanbul (Turkey) and Bitola (Macedonia).

The head of the Department for Consular Affairs and Diaspora at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Minister Mr. Dragan Đurović, said yesterday that these are all Honorary Consulates and, when opening such consulates, that the same procedure is to be followed as is the case with setting up diplomatic and consular bodies in their full capacity. “They will be headed by respectable citizens of the states in which the consulates are established, influential in their communities and with access to the Government, Chamber of Commerce, media… They are obliged to provide premises for the consulate, and thus the State of Montenegro incurs no costs in opening these seven consulates”, said Đurović. He explained that an Honorary Consul would not have the authorities of issuing visas or passports, but their task is to assist Montenegrin citizens when at the territory of their state whenever they might need administrative assistance.

“Two remarkable persons applied for the post in Cyprus, that is why we are going to have two consulates there,” noted Đurović. He also announced that most probably new consulates will also be set up in the countries in which Montenegro has embassies, such as the USA or Canada. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has so far set up 22 diplomatic and consular representations, 15 among them being embassies, one general consulate (New York) and six missions with international organisations.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will continue, within its regular activities, to undertake necessary steps on creating the conditions to open several more embassies and representations in the course of this year, according to the plan which envisages the completion of Montenegrin diplomatic and consular network by the end of 2012,” announced the Ministry.